The present invention relates to a hybrid drive apparatus.
A hybrid drive apparatus that is provided with a continuously variable transmission, which serves as a transmission, is used, for example, in a FF-type (front engine, front drive) vehicle in order to realize a comparatively small-scale structure. JP-A-2000-023313 and JP-A-2000-009215 describe hybrid drive apparatuses that are structured with two types of drive power sources and a continuously variable transmission.
As shown in FIG. 1 of JP-A-2000-023313, the hybrid drive apparatus is structured by being provided with an engine 2 and a rotary electric machine 3 with the rotor of the rotary electric machine 3 connected to an input shaft 51 of a continuously variable transmission 5. In contrast, the engine 2 is connected to the input shaft 51 of the continuously variable transmission 5 via a first clutch 4. In addition, the output from the continuously variable transmission 5 is transferred to a second clutch 7 and drive wheels 11R and 11L.
Because of the second clutch 7 in the hybrid drive apparatus in JP-A-2000-023313, when the rotation speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission has been held stationary due to, for example, emergency braking or locking of the drive wheels, the stationary state of the continuously variable transmission caused by the drive wheels is released by cutting off the second clutch 7. It is thus possible to make the continuously variable transmission revert to the gear change ratio that is used when the vehicle is starting up.
In the technology that is disclosed in JP-A-2000-023313, when travel is carried out by obtaining drive power from both of the drive power sources, that is, the engine 2 and the rotary electric machine 3, both of the drive powers sources are input as-is into the continuously variable transmission 5. In addition, in the structure in FIG. 1 of JP-A-2000-023313, the first clutch 4 is interposed between the continuously variable transmission 5 (specifically, a drive pulley 53) and the rotary electric machine 3.
FIG. 4 of JP-A-2000-023313 discloses an engine 111, a rotary electric machine 112, and a continuously variable transmission 114 with the rotary electric machine 112 provided on the input shaft of the continuously variable transmission 114. The transfer of the drive power from the engine 111 to the rotary electric machine 112 is realized by a clutch 113 that is provided between the engine 111 and the rotary electric machine 112.
The hybrid drive apparatus that is disclosed in JP-A-2000-009215 is one in which the structure shown in FIG. 4 of JP-A-2000-023313 is maintained. In JP-A-2000-009215, an electromagnetic clutch 11 is provided between an engine output shaft 10 and an input shaft 12 of a continuously variable transmission 13. A rotary electric machine 15 is directly connected to the input shaft 12 of the continuously variable transmission 13, and while the electromagnetic clutch 11 is engaged, all of the drive power from both of the drive power sources is input as-is to the continuously variable transmission 13.